St. Michael im Bgld.

Im südlichen Stremtal liegt die Marktgemeinde St. Michael im Burgenland. St. Michael ist eine ehemalige Agrargemeinde, die heute von Nebenerwerbsbauern, Gewerbetreibende, Arbeitern und Handelsunternehmern bewohnt wird. Für Freizeitaktivitäten stehen ein Tennisplatz, ein Sportplatz mit zwei Fußballfeldern zur Verfügung.

Zahlreiche Vereine, wie der Gesangsverein, ein Hobbyfliegerclub, die Musikkapelle, eine Kindervolkstanzgruppe und zwei Seniorenclubs beleben und gestalten das kulturelle Leben. Das landtechnische Museum ist eine neue Attraktion, welches landwirtschaftliche Geräte und deren Entwicklung zeigt.

Nähere Infos: St. Michael im Burgenland

Called "Pusztaszentmihály" in Hungarian since 1544, to distinguish from Großpetersdorf ("Nagyszentmihály"). Was predominantly Croatian from ca. 1600 till at least 1812. Market place, belonging to the Counts Batthyány since 1524.

Surnames as mentioned in the baptism records 1712-23: SAILER, HANZL, RADAKOVITS, MAROSITS, BOISSITS, GARTLER, PAUER, JANDRISEVITS, KAVLERITS, NOVOSZEL, FRÜHMANN, KOPITAR, EBERHARD, RUESZ, ZWITKOVITS, SCHAAR, SCHNEDL, SALLER, MATHEI, STIPSITCS, KOVÁCS, KREUTZER, FABSICS, GERGISCH, SCHRANZ, GRIESZL, HATZL, PRUNNER, DAMASCHITSCH, TOBISCH, WAGNER, MATISCHOVICH, TROBITSCH, MALITS, FRANCZICZ, JOSICH, EBERL, MARX, LORENZ, KRAMMER, HOPITZA, SAUERZOPF, PÁNY, BERKOVITS, STEINER, KRANZ, MAREKOVICH, VIRÁK, SIEDERICH, PETKOVICH, MURLASICH.

The fragmentary Urbarium of 1768 shows as noble land owners apart from the Batthyány: LIPICS, SZILÁGYI, Adam and Franz FRANCZICZ, Franz BARDISCHI and Sigmund JOBBÁGYI. The FRANCZICZ family (Peter F. ennobled in 1573, his sons were Franz,
Stefan, Johann and Kaspar) also had possessions in Tatzmannsdorf (Franz F., 1604), Tobaj (Franz and Sigmund F., 1693, mill owners) an Onód (Stefan F., 1646). The baptism records of 1716 state that a Peter F. was a General, the same surname also mentioned in the years 1721 (Stefan F.), 1749 (Martin and Franz), 1750 (Sigmund and Adam), 1762 (Franz), 1780 (Anton), 1790 (Theofil), 1799-1803 (Josef).

Tax liability of the community: In 1776 St. Michael was assessed 56 6/8 Dica (1 Dica à 1 fl 48 Den.) amounting to 356 fl 86 ½ Den. tax. In 1796: 257 5/8 Dica (à 1 fl 40 kr) amounting to 429 fl 22 ½ kr. In 1800: 259 Dica (à 1 fl 36 kr) amounting to 414 fl 36 kr. "Dica", in Hungarian "rovás", in our area called "Robisch" was the unit of taxation; the amount of the Dica was decided by the Hungarian (noble) parliament; the word Dica also means tax, hence the verb "dicare" = to pay tax(es).

In 1811 French soldiers confiscated the horse of Josef SZIDERICS.

In 1848 Johann FIGERL, Ludwig EIXNER and Adam EBERHARD served in the
National Guard. Stefan and Josef SAILLER, Johann WOLF, Andreas JANDRISCHICH, Stefan SIDERITS, Georg HANZEL and Franz KLEMENT were recruited for the army, each of them receiving 50 fl plus some money for traveling expenses from the community. Apart from that, one Johann SCHUCH gave "his" recruit 63 fl. [translator's note: meaning that
originally J.S. had been drafted, but had been wealthy enough to pay this person to serve instead of himself. This system was still practiced during World War I.] The "Freiwillige Feuerwehr" (Voluntary Fire Brigade) was founded in 1903.

In 1853 letters were still mailed in Großpetersdorf, in the 1860ies Sankt Michael already had its own postmaster, Rudolf GRABNER, who was succeeded by Franz NEMETH (ca. 1879-1910).

First "Kreisarzt" (physician) was Thomas BALLUF (ca. 1858-84), followed by Emmerich RETTEGI and Dr. Rudolf GRABNER (since 1921).

Until 1860 the teachers acted as notaries, from then on notaries were: 1860-81 Johann KONRATH, 1881-95 Hugo GRUBER, 1896-1921 Josef ILLÉS (shot by Hungarian guerillas).

Number of inhabitants: 1812 - 461; 1832 - 1179; 1929 - 928 (156 houses).

In 1698 the parish included villages Gamischdorf, Schallendorf, Rauchwart, Neuberg and Güttenbach, the predominant language was Croatian. Lutheran pastors: Matthias VISNYÁK (1618-19), Johann VUNICZA (1624), Johann STORK (1669). The churches had been reclaimed for the Catholics by Count Adam Batthyány in 1634, so the Lutheran service was
held in a private house. Number of Lutherans in 1698: 107 in St. Michael itself, 382 in the whole parish. In 1757 the church was still surrounded by the cemetery, only two Lutherans in the whole parish (1711 Catholics). Church records starting with 1712 (baptisms), 1713 (deaths) and 1714 (marriages). Today's church built in 1778. New cemetery outside the village since 1841. Oral tradition knows of two other former cemeteries. In 1847 Neuberg and Güttenbach became independent parishes.

On 4 June 1773, while the teacher, his 8 year old son and two villagers, Nikolaus MURLASICS and Matthias BOISITS (both ca. 24 y) were ringing the church bells during a thunderstorm, a lightning stroke, leaving the teacher and his son unharmed but killing the two others.

During the Canonical Visitation of 1827 the village council states that the cross (with a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary) located in the center of the village has already been erected "by our forefathers in times unkown", and that they promise to keep it in good shape. This document (19 June 1827) is signed by the council members Georg SAILER (Richter), Josef DERGOSITS, Matthias BOISITS, Johann SCHUCH and Johann SVETITS. In 1853 the community erected a chapel at this place. Iron parts were bought from Bernharth STERN [translator's note: probably a Jewish merchant], 5000 bricks and some wooden parts from Philipp HANZL; also engaged in this effort were the carpenter Matthias SIMON and the blacksmith Josef SCHUCH.

The "Ortskinder in Amerika" (children of the village living in America, ca. 350 persons [in 1929]) were always benefactors of the community, the donated the money for statue of the Virgin Mary, a second church bell and the War Memorial (consecrated 28 May 1922; casualties in WW I: St. Michael 29, Rauchwart 29, Schallendorf 8, Gamischdorf 9).

Priests: Georg HERWOWICZ (1698), Franz Xaver HIRSCH (1712-17), Benedikt
METELL an Georg WEINLINGER (1717-19), Johann GRUDER (1719-26), Peter
Johann VONDERSICH (1726-49), Matthias VUKOVITS (1749-68), Franz PERKONIK
(1768-73), Johann MAGDITSCH (1773-87), Paul MICHTICS (1788-1820), Franz
BARDOSSY (1820-56), Franz AUSZERNEK (1860-88), Josef SZILÁGYI (1888-96),
Franz THOMA (1896-1923, was also "Landtagsabgeordneter" (member of the provincial parliament) for some time), Georg HAUSCHKA (1923-25), Leopold Klement HOLZHEU (1925-). In addition to these from 1808-1856 a total of 26 chaplains.

Teachers: Andreas GRIMMWALDT (1757), Franz RAFFEL (died 23 Dec 1800), Georg RAFFEL (born in St. Michael, 34 y in 1812, succeeded his father Franz in 1800), Johann SVETITS (ca. 1817-1859; 44 y in 1832, has served in Stegersbach before coming here), Franz SCHMAL (-1869), Franz WUKISEWITS (1868-83). New school house built in 1864 at # 13. Further teachers: Josef SCHMAL (1883-1909), Elemér KOLOSZÁR (1909-11), Julius
SZENTGYÖRGYI (1911-23), Ludwig BEIDL (1923-25), Josef HÖRCSÖKI (1925-),
in 1929 Franziska TUNKL as second teacher.

Apart from this Catholic school a "Staatsschule" (run by the government) was in existence from 1897. Teachers: Alexander SELESTEI (1897-1921), Franz HANEL (1921-25), Josef TUNKL and Richard WIESINGER (1925-).

(source: V+H Nr. 14-16/1957)
Übersetzung (c) Burgenland Bunch

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